Well, you should. And if it is possible to know anyone at all, then Warren Harold can be known, too. His legendary and and often heartbreakingly beautiful photoblog That…was my foot will attest to that. It kind of unfolds like a rare flower, before your eyes. And before you know it, you are tunneling toward the very center of genius, one moment of life at a time.
Chances are, if Warren has photographed you, then he knows you, as well. He would have to, to reveal you as he does. But, don’t worry, you are not alone: Warren is a sympathetic soul. He is right there with you, keeping company where you are.
You can see this in the way that he is cautiously observing and protecting the splendor and innocence of his children’s childhoods, through photography. He is sublimely attenuated to their daily lives, the frolics under a garden hose and naps in the sundrenched backseat of a car, and is particularly sensitive to the feelings and sentiments and dreams of his oldest, and only son, Nathan, who appears on the pages of Warren’s photoblog and in his gallery shows like a child-sized cipher for the artist’s very self. One that is mercurial and intelligent, like his father, but with a mind and a heart and a will of his very own. Himself a child of divorce, Warren is exquisitely — sometimes painfully — aware of what his separation from Nathan’s mother has cost his son, and so he shelters; he does his best to construct what he says was lacking in his own life, a solid fatherly presence. The square frame of his medium format vintage and toy camera photos of both his children is like a sturdy and fortified wall around the little gardens of their lives. He shares with us their golden moments, but not without the tangible presence of his own fatherly care.
He has ministered, in a way, to so many people through his photographs: to his brother, after the loss of his wife, to his mother, his children, his wife, his friends, even me. Of course, Warren wouldn’t see things this way; his ability to poke fun at himself and his wry wit just wouldn’t allow it. But, there’s no mistaking it: knowing that someone as dependable and true and honest as Warren is is out there, knowing that someone with the power to capture the Things As They Are just as they are, so that none of us lose them or forget them, is a great uplift to the careworn soul. When you realize that he has been through what you are going through — you can see it in his photographs — the realization arrives like a breath of consolation and pledge of loyalty from him.
And he is the loyalest of friends. His longtime best friend of all and partner in crime, Will Close, will likely laugh his @ss off at this whole post (tears may even come to his eyes!), because he likes to keep us all in check. But like Robin, Warren’s wife, Warren’s mama and his children, Warren’s brother, his avid fans and fellow photographers (including Yours Truly), he will know in his heart that every word is true.
So, if you don’t already know Warren Harold, well — I suggest you get to know him. Just be ready to get to know yourself a little better, too, through his unique photographic presence and view of the world.
